“Yes, ma’am.” Lane’s legs felt like spaghetti as she pressed the gas. Her nerves were shot and she still had her father’s barbecue to go to this evening. Maybe she could cancel.

A mile up the road, Lane passed an inlet and the sound of revving motors set her heart in a tailspin. No! Both cars had been waiting for her and pulled onto the road behind her. “They’re back.” She couldn’t keep the panic from her voice.

“Honey, there’s a squad car coming. He’ll be there any second.”

Deputy Benningfield’s voice was controlled and she was trying to be soothing, but Lane could barely hear it over the thundering in her chest. These insane drivers were going to kill someone and she wasn’t going to just sit there and let it be her and Noah. Lane pressed the accelerator and put some space between them. It was a mistake.

The cars took her advance as a challenge and met it. The white car came up to her side and started pacing her. The dark blue one stayed on her back bumper, making it impossible for Lane to slow down without fear of getting rear-ended.

“I need someone to help me!” Lane ground her teeth. “They’re going to run us off the road.”

Like an answered prayer, the sound of sirens rang out in the distance. Lane breathed a prayer and started to slow down but not before the white car whipped in front of her, clipping the front of her bumper. Her steering wheel jerked to the side. Lane hit her brakes, but it wasn’t enough to stop the momentum of her Jeep from careening off the side of the road. They came to a jolting stop. Sirens and Noah’s cries filled Lane’s ears.

Before Lane could take another breath, the driver’s door was ripped open. “Lane, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

It was Charlie. His handsome face a mask of fear and relief. All she could manage was a shaky nod before the tears started. She turned and looked over her shoulder to find Sheriff Huggins helping Noah out of his car seat.

“Lane, we’ve got an ambulance coming—”

“No.” Lane wiped her face and took a breath as she tried to regain control over her adrenaline and emotions. She got out of the car and walked around the door toward the back seat. “We just drove off the road. If Noah’s not hurt . . .” Lane reached for Noah, who was wiping his nose all over Sheriff Huggins’s shoulder.

“I think he’s just fine, darlin’.” Sheriff Huggins passed Noah over to Lane.

“Are you okay, buddy?”

A sniffling nod was all she got before Noah buried his head in her shoulder.